Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-05-06
so,,seth.ing Abo,.t Drainage.

One great desideratum in oil drainage is
the outlet. Be sure and have a good OUT
let first. Most all writer's on drainage ad.
vocate the system of n main drain and
laterals coming in on both sides; this is q
good system and drains the land perfe city,
but the system that I have always thought
practical is to have as few laterals as
possible, but have all your drains as fur as
practicable run straight to the outlet or
near the outlet, and have q very large tile
for q few rods at the outlet. By this sys-
tenn a larger amount of water can be taken
OF in a shorter time ut a less EXPENSE;
while the water would be running across
the field in the laterals to the main drain,
by this system it would be Mt the outlet, as
the distance would be little further, and the
fall by this system would be enough
greater to make up for the distance in the
drains. BY this system it is certainly the
cheapest, as youdispense with along string
of large tile, but n great deal depends on
the lay of the land; if the land is rolling in
some cases only the lateral system can be
one idea of getting the water off as quickly
as possible at the least expense.
1t is now admitted by all that tile drain
age is the best-paying investment that n
farmer can have; therefore, do not slight
your work to save q little money. Tile
drains, if perfectly made, will not only
last o few hundred years, but will last for
all time to come. Round tile is the best,
and about the only kind used at present.
IT is economy to make your tile drains just
as they should be in the first place, and
save the expense of making them over. It
makes no difference at which end you COM
mence to lay your tile. l have laid them
both ways, but I consider it the best to
a0no m =, of tho Nr,k11k 0~l Inv <h4 ALL No
fast as the ditch is dug, covering the tile a
few inches with clay from near the bottom
of the ditch. keeping the upper end covered
as you leave it. Any silt or debris that
may be washed in the tile will surely be
washed out if you have graded your drain
properly, and this is one of the most i'm
portant points in making drains-to have a
perfect grade. 1t is q very good way to
have your drains leveled by an engineer.
but l would never lay tile in a drain until
it was leveled by water. l consider water
the best leveler that can be had in a tile
drain. 1t is very often the case that you
have a large stone to take out of the
bottom of the drain. In this case never
pebbles, and pound them in, and your tile
will not sink.
Persons that have not drained any, and
are not posted themselves on drainage, are
almost sure to commence wrong. In COM
mencing they think that they will only
drain their wet lands, but after draining
the swales it has paid SO we'll that they will
drain the high lands if they need it (there
is plenty of land that needs no draining,
but if your land is clay it certainly needs
draining and will pay to do it; therefore it
is best to take this into consideration
when you commence to drain.
The depth Of drains should run from
four to six feet. You have the use of your
land as deep rs you drain and no deeper;
if you drain it twenty inches deep your
crop roots will go no deeper; if they are
six feet deep your crop roots will go that
deep, for the reason that tile drains do
nearly as much good of a dry as they do of
a wet season. If land is drained deep the
surplus water runs of, and the land be-
comes more porous, and the mir and frosts
get deep down, and seem to raise the land
up and make it porous, SO the plants can
send their. ~rootlets down deep and suck up
sufficient moisture during a severe drouth.
In regard 10 the distance that drains should
be apart that depends upon the depth of
your drains n the nature of your lands.
-CHica1O Tribune.